Editing Portal:HPC - High Performance Computing (section)

=== Inline C, FFI, XS, and hybrid Perl/C HPC ===

Perl has several ways to connect to compiled code. These include XS, Inline::C, FFI::Platypus, and generated bindings through `Alien::` distributions. This matters for HPC because many high-performance libraries are written in C, C++, or Fortran.

Hybrid Perl/C programming is often more realistic than trying to write every performance-sensitive kernel directly in Perl. A common design is:

* write the high-level workflow in Perl;
* represent large arrays with PDL;
* write the hot loop in C, C++, Fortran, or OpenMP;
* call the compiled routine from Perl;
* use Perl for input, output, validation, plotting, and reporting.

This model preserves Perl’s strengths while avoiding its performance weaknesses. It also allows Perl to make use of mature scientific libraries rather than competing with them.

A 2024 paper on component-based bioinformatics with Perl argues that Perl can assemble applications from existing components using object orientation, PDL, Alien modules, FFI, Inline, and OpenMP.<ref>Christos Argyropoulos, “Enhancing non-Perl bioinformatic applications with Perl: Building novel, component based applications using Object Orientation, PDL, Alien, FFI, Inline and OpenMP,” arXiv, https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.10271, accessed July 3, 2026.</ref> This is a good description of Perl’s realistic HPC value: composition, wrapping, orchestration, and integration.